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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. rest — a break
  3. mark — a grade
  4. deal — to handle
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. court — of law
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. court — of a king
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. court — for sport
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. rock — music
  20. rock — a stone
  21. rest — what's left
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. pass — a permit
  24. mark — a trace

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com